This solar project replaced the coal-fueled electricity and supplies about half of the building's electrical needs.
With the advancement in solar, more school like the Monona School District will be able to take advantage of the clean energy produced by solar power.
Sustainability was the driving force behind this project which now provides environmental, and fiscal benefits for the district and the entire Monona Grove community.
As the largest solar PV array to date on any K-12 school in the state, the district is expected to save $1.5 million dollars over the lifetime of the array.
How much electricity is expected to be produced?
The panels cover about 2/3 of the high school roof with a capacity of 674 Kilowatts. They are designed to provide about 845 Mega-Watt hours of power each year – about half the building’s electrical usage.
Image Source: Monona Grove School District
Installation by Westphal
1,410 solar modules were installed on 6 different roof areas. Unirac ballasted racking supports the 480 watt modules. Slipsheets were placed beneath each ballast tray to protect the roof from abrasion. Rigid metal conduit delivers DC power to the nine Solectria 60 kW inverters and from the inverters to the school’s electrical service.
Environmental Benefits
The array will offset the burning of more than 16,000 tons of coal, reducing harmful coal-related air emissions, including:
- over 44,000 pounds of smog-producing nitrogen oxide emissions
- 5,400 pounds of particulate emissions
- 2.8 pounds of mercury emissions
- and 31,000 tons of carbon dioxide!
About Us
Westphal Electric has been serving the Madison, Janesville, Dubuque, and Milwaukee areas for more than 90 years. We’re a team of electricians you can trust. We believe in providing residential and commercial electric services for maximum convenience for you. We offer solar panel installation and servicing so that you can trust our team each step of the way and never feel left in the dark. Click here to view additional solar projects from Westphal & Co.
